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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25601956">The Way to A Man's Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonlightBlizzard/pseuds/MoonlightBlizzard'>MoonlightBlizzard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Caffeine Addiction, Don't read this when you're hungry, Fluff and Humor, Food Porn, It's not what you think, M/M, No Conan, Soul Bond, kaishinbigbang2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:33:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,339</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25601956</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonlightBlizzard/pseuds/MoonlightBlizzard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaito never really believed in soul bonds. But when he woke up on his sixteenth birthday, craving a cup of coffee thanks to his soulmate, he knew that the universe had deigned him with one. From being indifferent to intrigued, Kaito tried to investigate his soulmate's identity. Good thing he knew his soulmate was a Kaitou Kid fan. What could possibly go wrong? </p><p>After all, they said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>478</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>kaishinbigbang 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Way to A Man's Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is written based on a prompt by <a href="https://twitter.com/rux363">rux363</a>, an amazing artist who I am very blessed to be paired with for this <a href="https://kaishinbigbang.tumblr.com/">Kai Shin Big Bang</a>. Betaed by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/muggle95/pseuds/muggle95">Muggle95</a> and <a href="https://jodaneko.tumblr.com/">Jodaneko</a>, thank you so much for giving me so many inputs on my grammar :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The very first thing Kaito discovered about his soulmate was the fact that they had a caffeine addiction.</p><p>It all started like this:</p><p>Kaito woke up on the morning of his sixteenth birthday with a craving for a nice, steaming hot cup of black coffee. Still half asleep, went and brewed a cup of instant coffee and was halfway through stirring a few spoonful of sugar into it before he realized what he was doing.</p><p>Jolting, he stared down at the unassuming beverage, astonished at what he was doing.</p><p><em>He could feel it. </em>His soulmate bond had awakened!</p><p>As long as Kaito could remember, he had been skeptical of the whole process. After all, not everyone had a soulmate. Sometimes a person had more than one soulmate, proving that the universe truly worked in mysterious ways. His mother had told him of inconclusive studies, researches that had been done to further understand what was believed to be the ultimate mystery, to no avail. Kaito never particularly appreciated the fact that soulmates always ended up together. He wasn’t fond of the idea that fate or some other higher being paired him up with someone else, without giving him the choice. He’d scoffed at the soulmate concept.</p><p>And here he was, feeling this craving for caffeine.</p><p>“Damn it!” he groaned. He didn’t even like coffee! The taste was so bitter, especially to his sugar-inclined palate. Why couldn’t his soulmate crave cake, or something? Hmmm, could he try to influence his soulmate?</p><p>Kaito closed his eyes, frowning in concentration. He tried to focus on the thoughts of Starbuck’s Ice Chocolate. Immediately, the image formed in his mind, and he could feel himself starting to salivate. Mmmm… Ice chocolate… creamy, sweet, just the right amount of bitterness and crunchy from the shaved chocolate pieces… Absolutely delicious to munch on. A bit savory from the extra whipped cream he always asked for… The taste of heaven on his tongue…</p><p>“It worked!” Kaito cheered when he realized the cup of coffee in front of him appeared to be as disgusting as it would have seemed before. The cravings had gone away! Kaito quickly pour the black liquid down the drain before the strange temptation was back. But damn it, now he really wanted to go to Starbucks.</p><p> ~*:*:*:*~</p><p>The second fact that Kaito had learned about his soulmate was that they were older than him.</p><p>A soulmate bond was established after both – or all, in case of multiple soulmates – parties reach the age of sixteen. Again, nobody knew why, or what was so special about that age. The legal age of consent in most countries was sixteen, but it was <em>because</em> of the soulmate bond, not the other way around.</p><p>Because Kaito’s bond manifested right on his sixteenth birthday, it meant that he was the younger party out of the two of them. Another point, he was pretty sure that he had only had one soulmate, for two reasons. One, having multiple soulmates was a rare occurrence, rarer than an albino lion. It was something that happened, and a great source of inspiration for movies and TV dramas, but there was at least eighty percent chance that Kaito only had one soulmate. The second reason was that he only got one new craving. What were the odds that he would have <em>two</em> soulmates who craved coffee exactly the same way?</p><p>His soulmate got caffeine cravings at the most inopportune moments.</p><p>Case in point, here he was, chatting with Aoko over her dining table, when his soulmate woke up and immediately started having their morning coffee cravings.</p><p>Ugh. Kaito grimaced and concentrated on the tamagoyaki roll Aoko had made for breakfast, willing himself to crave it instead of bitter coffee. He thought about the silky smooth texture… the sweet and savory taste from all the seasonings, expertly made by Aoko… the perfect layers of egg batter…</p><p>To his elation, the craving subsided, only to return in vengeance. It seemed like his soulmate had used his own trick and focused on their own craving.</p><p>“Kaito? What’s wrong? Does your stomach hurt?” Aoko’s voice cut through his concentration. “You look constipated.”</p><p>Whimpering, Kaito gave up. “Ugh. Aoko, do you have coffee?”</p><p>His childhood friend, who had cooked for him for years, stared at him like he had grown a second head. “Coffee?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Kaito nodded emphatically. “I’m really craving a nice cup of coffee. Black, with two sugars…”</p><p>“Since when do you drink coffee?” Bewildered, Aoko stood up to fetch him a cup. “Dad drinks coffee every morning, so there’s some left Aoko guesses…”</p><p>Practically snatching the cup out of Aoko’s hand, Kaito moaned as he inhaled the heavenly aroma. The moment he sipped on the refreshing beverage, his craving dissipated, leaving him grimacing at the no longer appealing beverage.</p><p>“Oh! Kaito, you’ve found your soulmate, haven’t you? That’s why you suddenly want coffee!” Aoko exclaimed in glee. “Aoko is so happy for you!”</p><p>Aoko’s birthday was in September, and she had been eagerly waiting for her own soulmate bond to awaken, despite Kaito’s continued efforts to discourage her. He didn’t want her to get her hopes up for nothing.</p><p>Kaito made a face at her. “It’s been a nuisance! They are a caffeine addict! They start craving coffee all the time, it’s so annoying!” He was full on whining now. “The worst part is that I can’t resist it! Aoko, I’ve had more than enough coffee to last me a lifetime… the compulsion is so strong!”</p><p>Aoko raised her eyebrows. “Kaito, you know it’s just because the bond is so new. It will settle into more of an urge than a full blown craving. Just give it time,” she reassured him, trying to cheer him up.</p><p>Kaito groaned. “Why couldn’t they crave cake or something, why must it be coffee?”</p><p>Aoko patted his back in consolation. “Well, it could be worse… They could crave <em>you-know-what</em>!”</p><p>He blanched.</p><p>~*:*:*:*~</p><p>Kaito was <em>pretty sure </em>his soulmate was a Kid fan.</p><p>The reason? His soulbond always grew after he had his heists. The very first days were absolute hell, when he had those uncontrollable urges to forgo his usual tea, milk, or chocolate in favor of bitter, black coffee. He had tried to distract his soulmate to varying degrees of success. It took months before the urges let up. Now the cravings had softened to the point that he could ignore it with sufficient willpower.</p><p>But right after his heists, and sometimes even during them, he would feel that distinct <em>twinge</em> that let him know his bond just had just strengthened.</p><p>Kaito knew some basic facts about soulmates of course. How could he not, with how much hype soulmates were portrayed with in movies, dramas, basically anywhere he looked. Not to mention Aoko’s fanatical belief in the power of true love had her harping on him ever since she found out about Kaito’s bond.</p><p>He let her, because September had come and gone, and Aoko was still bondless.</p><p>Kaito had spent the first few days walking on eggshells after her birthday. But Aoko seemed to be trying to get over her own disappointment by personally making sure Kaito lived happily ever after with his soulmate.</p><p>Kaito loved her, truly he did. But if he had to sit through one more lecture about everything there was to know about soulbonds, he would probably throw himself off Tokyo Tower, sans glider.</p><p>Okay, no. He was just being overly dramatic. And the lectures came in handy. It was why he recognized the twinges, after all.</p><p>Like now.</p><p>“Yikes! Sheesh, Meitantei. One day, you’ll take my head off with that if you’re not careful!”</p><p>He had just dodged Kudou Shinichi’s deadly soccer ball by jumping on top of the railing. He knew he was in full view of his screaming fans below and reporter cameras, as his cape billowed dramatically from the wind on the rooftop.</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Get down, you idiot! You’ll fall!” the detective screamed, face flushed in anger and frustration. Kaito could hear genuine concern in it, though, because he knew Kudou was the type of person who ran into burning buildings to save a murderer that had almost killed him. He wasn’t even exaggerating… the news had made headlines on no less than twelve newspapers.</p><p>At the same moment, Kaito felt the <em>twinge</em>. But the timing was very unhelpful, because his soulmate could be anyone out of the thousands of screaming fans or perhaps even someone watching on TV. He <em>had </em>jumped on top of a precarious railing twenty floors up, and his soulmate who was definitely watching him had probably had a heart attack from his sheer brilliance.</p><p>It <em>was</em> a pretty impressive stunt, if he could say so himself. Kaito preened and stood straighter, balancing precariously on the soles of his feet.</p><p>“Don’t be si-“</p><p>A strong wind suddenly buffeted him, throwing his balance off. Kaito could hear the screaming rise in pitch, and he could see Kudou’s eyes widening in panic, as he slipped into a free fall from the top of Haido City Hotel.</p><p>Thankfully he didn’t hit anything, he thought to himself as he snapped his glider open and flew away to safety. He could’ve broken his leg if he had hit the side of the building, falling at that speed and momentum, but he hadn’t, so all was well and good, though he felt a stronger twinge right then, a faint feeling of panic wafting through.</p><p>But he was never sure if the panicked feeling was his or his soulmate’s, or if he had imagined the whole thing. Everything had happened pretty fast, after all.</p><p>~*:*:*:*~</p><p>Kaito’s soulmate was <em>not</em> on the Kid’s Task Force.</p><p>Despite his blasé attitude on soulmates in general, deep down Kaito was admittedly curious. He had spent months drinking coffee and snacking on the occasional lemon pie because of the bond. But there was an upside from the cravings as well. He had accidentally discovered it on one particularly hot day, he had been seriously craving chocolate ice cream. Imagining Häagen Dazs’ Belgian Chocolate ice cream… the perfect balance of sweetness and a hint of bitterness to give the taste more depth… the coldness of the ice cream to cool him down amid the summer heat… the silky, smooth texture against his tongue…</p><p>To his surprise, a few minutes later he could <em>feel</em> his soulmate eating said ice cream, as if in agreement, and enjoying the dessert. Kaito ran to his fridge and took out his stash, eating the ice cream straight from the tub. The taste was absolutely <em>divine</em>. Kaito moaned unashamedly against his spoon. <em>So this is how it feels like when we’re both craving the same things,</em> Kaito thought absentmindedly, digging into his treat<em>. This is great! Imagine mealtimes when we actually eat something we both want… the amplified taste… yum!</em></p><p>The incident was probably what made Kaito seriously want to find his soulmate. He still doubted that they would meet, stare into each other’s eyes as dramatic music swelled in the background, and ride off into the sunset to their happily ever after. He had so much baggage, and Kid was a whole other mess of legal and moral issues. But maybe… just maybe… his soulmate would understand, would accept him as he was. The universe had deemed that one specific person as the other part of his very soul, after all. They should complete each other, shouldn’t they?</p><p>So Kaito had started to investigate. He knew that his soulmate knew Kid, so he should utilize the heists as an opportunity to narrow down the candidates – he absolutely refuse to even think of it as ‘suspects’. The word was too detective-y for his liking. He was the thief, not the sleuth. He liked the game he was playing with Hakuba, Kudou, and the Task Force and had no intention of changing roles.</p><p>The problem was, Kaito quickly realized, Kid was <em>too</em> popular. Every heist brought thousands of fans, news crew, and officers, not to mention fans who watched his heists from television. He knew that whoever they were, his soulmate <em>cared</em> for Kid. Or sympathized with him, at the very least.</p><p>He contemplated the last heist as he sat at Jii-chan’s bar, fingers tapping restlessly against the polished wood. There was a sniper, and he <em>thought </em>he had felt the twinge when the shot had been fired, but understandably, he had been too busy dodging the bullet to really pay attention to his bond.</p><p>But since the bond had reacted <em>as he was being shot at, </em>he could rule out the Task Force, couldn’t he? He had been on the museum rooftop then, and the police officers had already been caught on the numerous traps he had set up inside. There was no way they could’ve seen him. That only left the news crew, and people who live streamed the heist. Oh, and Kudou, who had chased him onto the roof as well. But seeing as Kudou was practically glued to the hip with the pretty karate champion, they must be soulmates. Unless, of course, Kudou and Mouri were one of the extremely rare cases of multiple soulmates.</p><p>A quick search shot that theory down. Mouri was younger than him, so if they were all soulmates, Kaito’s bond wouldn’t have awoken on <em>his</em> birthday.</p><p>That ruled out about a dozen people. Thousands more to go…</p><p>How would he ever root them out?</p><p>~*:*:*:*~</p><p>Whoever they were, his soulmate was definitely an avid Kid fan.</p><p>In a stroke of genius, if he could say so himself, Katio had set up an official fan site that live streamed his heists. He asked Jii to be the cameraman and operator, and as Kid he endorsed the site, making sure his fans would flock to it. It quickly became the go-to site to for streaming Kid heists, because Jii had inside knowledge of the route he would take, and so he could make sure he filmed all of Kid’s outdoor appearances. Through legal channels, he also released footage from buildings’ security cameras so the fans could see what happened when they were barred from entering the heist site. After all, most of the fun stuff happened with his lovely Task Force and his favorite critics. He posed as Etou Jun, an earnest, visionary, and novice website owner who wrote up proposals to the building managers and security companies.</p><p>He pulled some daring stunts: parkour, jumping around ceilings, and more, because those were the moments when he felt the bond reacted the most. Some of his best tricks also inspired a reaction, but most of them generated nothing. It seemed like his soulmate was hard to please.</p><p>Perhaps he was a masochist, but that thought excited him.</p><p>Every time he felt a twinge from his bond, he would log in to his streaming site after the heist and checked who else was logged in at the time. Carefully working through tens of thousands users, he carefully made an overly complicated spreadsheet narrowing down his possible soulmates. It was a long, tedious process, and Kaito couldn’t shake the creeping worry that he might be missing the person entirely… his soulmate may not be watching Kid heists solely from the streaming site, after all.</p><p>That worry was what made him decide to pull tricks almost exclusively indoors in the recent heists. The regular news crew couldn’t get a lock on what was happening inside in real-time, after all. The reporters had to stick to his rooftop appearances and the mass of screaming fans. Nakamori-keibu had long since banned them inside the building where the heists took place. Kaito distinctly remembered Nakamori-keibu’s face had quickly flushed red with anger at the incessant questions the reporters asked, which were hindering him from chasing Kid. He had banned any news crew on the site from then on.</p><p>Kaito, on the other hand, absolutely adored the media. And he knew the feeling was mutual.</p><p>It became a routine. He pulled his heists, did his tricks, and noted when he felt his soulmate bond reacting to Kid’s stunts. Then he went home, cleaned up and put away Kid’s gear, then checked his site and worked on his spreadsheet. And slowly but surely, the list shrunk as he eliminated possibilities.</p><p><em>This, </em>Kaito thought, munching on a slice of lemon cheesecake courtesy of his soulmate’s craving while painstakingly compiling the logged in users, <em>has to be the most work someone has ever done to find their soulmate. I should get an award or something.</em></p><p>In his mind, a voice that suspiciously sounded like Aoko cheerily replied that finding his soulmate would be the reward in and of itself.</p><p>Kaito snorted, and promptly choked on his cheesecake.</p><p>~*:*:*:*~</p><p>Everything went to hell in a handbasket the day Kaito’s soulmate started truly caring for him.</p><p>It was supposed to be a routine, run of the mill heist. The full moon was shining above him, the wind was perfect for gliding, and nothing seemed amiss.</p><p>He had nabbed the jewel and was running up to his favorite spot on any building – the rooftop. Kudou and five members of the Task Force ran after him, the rest long since abandoned in his various traps. Kaito was confident he would shake his pursuers off soon enough.</p><p>Throwing open the metal door, Kaito ran across the rooftop, laughing while reflexively checking the target of the night. Ignoring his dull disappointment that it wasn’t Pandora, he pocketed it again, jumped off the rooftop – felt that familiar twinge – before opening his glider midair. The fans were screaming, his pursuers were screaming… albeit in distinctly different tones, and the night ended perfectly.</p><p>He had barely flew twenty meters when a sharp pain lanced through him.</p><p>The glider dropped ten feet before Kaito could right himself again. Breathing harshly through the pain, he flew as fast as possible away from the place. He knew he had been shot. From the fire racing up his left thigh, he reckoned he knew where.</p><p>Fear, agony, anger, worry... The emotions were like a storm inside of him, whirling around in chaos. Kaito couldn’t think, couldn’t focus. He flew almost purely on instinct, and was infinitely grateful he didn’t feel a second shot.</p><p>Looking back, Kaito didn’t know how he managed to get away, land the glider, and contact Jii-chan. He only knew that he woke up, woozy from blood loss three days after the incident, with his mother and his assistant hovering over him like the worried family they were.</p><p>He loved them so much.</p><p>But shortly after the incident, Kaito noticed a remarkable shift in his bond. Aoko had thoroughly educated him on the subject, so when he was happily eating his mother’s special chocolate flan – creamy, buttery smooth on his tongue, sinfully delicious chocolate melting in his mouth – and he felt a pang of melancholy, Kaito froze, spoon dangling from his mouth.</p><p>His soulmate… he could feel their emotions!</p><p>It was the next evolution of the soulbond. It meant he and his soulmate had established a deeper connection with each other, an emotional closeness. Kaito imagined his soulmate was probably shaken when Kid got shot, and Kaito himself had already slowly come to accept his soulmate – hence all his hard work trying to track them down.</p><p>Kaito didn’t know what to do, though. His soulmate was sad enough that he could feel it from their fledgling bond. He focused back on the flan, trying to send his own enjoyment through his bond.</p><p>He didn’t know whether his attempt to cheer his soulmate up was received or not, but the melancholy feeling dissipated anyway.</p><p>~*:*:*:*~</p><p>Turns out, Kaito’s soulmate was a <em>stalker</em>.</p><p>It happened on a perfectly good day. The sun was shining brightly, an autumn breeze blew across his backyard, his doves managed to execute the new trick he was teaching them, his fingers were nimble and his tricks perfect.</p><p>Until it wasn’t.</p><p>Kaito knew, of course, that Japan was mainly a maritime country. Their main protein source was the horrible finny things. And most people didn’t have ichthyophobia.</p><p>In his defense, his soulmate had <em>never</em> displayed any affinity for the finny things. Kaito had never really thought about the fact that his soulmate, like any other <em>normal</em> Japanese person, probably consumed said finny things on a regular basis. Hence, Kaito was totally unprepared when the siren call for salty-sweet, juicy, tender salmon teriyaki took over him.</p><p>Kaito completely lost his mind.</p><p>Panic overtook him. His breathing sped up and cold sweat beaded his forehead as images of fresh orange salmon, glazed with teriyaki sauce, grilled marks scored in a crisscross shape over the flesh, with rice topped with black sesame seed flooded his mind. His soulmate was having a serious craving, and Kaito was helpless.</p><p>He couldn’t focus, couldn’t think of anything else than the food. Kaito really wanted to go to the nearest convenience store and buy a… a… a…</p><p>Kaito didn’t know how long he spent curled up in a ball on his backyard. All he knew, when he finally came out of it, his doves were fluttering around him. Their gentle coos helped to further calm him down.</p><p>Shaking, he rose to his feet. Kaito knew he wouldn’t be able to continue training, not when he was barely holding it together. He needed a serious pick me up.</p><p>Half thankful Aoko was having a girls’ day out and hence not around to witness his meltdown, Katio staggered back inside. He still felt shaky, even though the worst of the panic attack had passed. Curling up on the sofa, Kaito put on the television for some background noise, then he sat on the sofa, pulling his knees up and resting his forehead against it, breathing deeply.</p><p>
  <em>Two… three… four… exhale one… two… it’s okay… four... five… six… Inhale one… it’s stopped…</em>
</p><p>The ringing doorbell startled him.</p><p>Kaito groaned pitifully. He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with people. Perhaps if he stayed silent, they would go away? Aoko, Jii-chan, and his mother all had a key to the house. They wouldn’t ring the doorbell.</p><p>The doorbell rang again, somehow sounding impatient. Kaito sighed and went to open the door.</p><p>Kudou Shinichi stood on his porch.</p><p>Kaito yelped, and had half a mind to slam the door on the detective’s face before he remembered that Kuroba Kaito didn’t know Kudou Shinichi. He had no reason whatsoever to be afraid.</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Um… hi?” He ventured. “Can I help you?”</p><p>Kudou scrutinized him. He was panting slightly, Kaito realized, like he had just been running.</p><p>They stood awkwardly in silence, staring into each other’s eyes at Kaito’s front door. Seconds passed, before Kudou suddenly blurted out, “Are you okay?”</p><p>Kaito blinked. “Excuse me?”</p><p>Did he look as awful as he felt? Was there stray leaves or dirt on his face? Was his eyes red? What made Kudou say that?</p><p>The detective, surprisingly, flushed.</p><p>“Um…” he stuttered. “I just… I…”</p><p>Kaito raised an eyebrow, carefully making sure to keep his emotions locked down behind his poker face. “Yes?”</p><p>“I… felt you panic,” Kudou muttered, sounding ashamed. He looked down to his feet, and blushed.</p><p>For a moment, Kaito stared at the other man, uncomprehending. But then realization slammed into him like a freight truck.</p><p>“WHAT?!?!??!” Kaito gaped. “You… y-you… you!!!”</p><p>The detective peered up at Kaito from underneath his eyelashes. Kaito was completely speechless, staring at his soulmate.</p><p>
  <em>His soulmate.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Kudou freaking Shinichi.</em>
</p><p>“No way,” Kaito shook his head frantically. Kudou already had a soulmate! Mouri Ran! But then another thought popped up on his mind. “Wait, how do you know me? We’ve never met.” <em>How did you know I was Kid?</em></p><p>Kudou turned even redder, and mumbled something under his breath.</p><p>“Sorry?” Kaito raised an eyebrow. Internally, he started to panic again<em>. A detective! Kid’s soulmate! Oh no, does it mean he knows? Oh god, can he feel me panicking right now?</em></p><p>“You know, I <em>can</em> feel you freaking out again now. You have an excellent poker face, I’ll give you that, but…” Kudou shrugged.</p><p>Kaito gaped at him.</p><p>Kudou shuffled his feet, visibly uncomfortable. “Can we talk in private?”</p><p>“Uh…” Kaito stammered. “Um, sure. Please, come on in…” He stepped aside to let the detective into his home, debating whether or not to maintain a façade of innocence. <em>Heck, I’m gonna play dumb. </em>“You’re Kudou Shinichi, right? I’ve seen you on the news a lot. I’m Kuroba Kaito.”</p><p>Kudou levelled him with a <em>look</em>. It was a look Kaito was familiar with, usually when he did something stupid during heists and Kudou caught it. The look practically screamed, <em>you idiot.</em></p><p>“Kuroba. I’m here, in your home, obviously knowing you are my soulmate,” he stated, deadpan. “Do you really want to do the whole dance? Because I obviously know who you are, and I have proof.”</p><p>Rolling his eyes, Kaito admitted defeat. He knew, from watching the detective in action, that once Kudou was sure of something, he was always right. And he wouldn’t have come to Kaito’s home without absolute certainty that Kaito is Kid. He would have proof to back it up.</p><p>“Pardon the intrusion,” Kudou called out and removed his shoes on the genkan.</p><p>“This way,” Kaito lead the detective to the kitchen and gestured to his dining table. He was internally singing praise to his past self for being clean. The house was spotless, there was absolutely no incriminating stuff laid about. “Would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee?”</p><p>“Anything is fine, thank you,” Kudou graciously sat on his dining table.</p><p>Kaito started a pot of ocha, left it to boil, and went to sit down across from the detective. He fiddled with his fingers and squirmed around, letting his nervousness show. He would not wear a mask in his own house, especially since it seemed like Kudou knew <em>everything</em>.</p><p>Tense silence lasted for a few minutes, before Kaito blurted out, “Explain.”</p><p>Kudou took a deep breath, and started telling his side of the story. How he knew his soulmate’s exact birthdate because he was waking up, in desperate need of coffee after a late night working on case reports, only to find that he was suddenly thinking about Starbuck’s Iced Chocolate.</p><p>“Which is a very unusual thing for me,” Kudou assured him, looking very earnest. “I really don’t have a sweet tooth. Starbuck’s is practically half sugar…”</p><p>“Which makes it delicious,” Kaito defended himself. In spite of his apprehension about his situation, he couldn’t let his favorite beverage shop be slandered.</p><p>Kudou rolled his eyes, “I knew you love your sweets. You’ve perfectly established it during these months, changing my cravings like that…”</p><p>The detective then elaborated that, while he himself never actively tried to root out his soulmate, he couldn’t help but deduce some facts about him. Like Kaito’s birthday, his aversion to black coffee, the fact that he didn’t have a healthy diet, and the fact that he was Kid.</p><p>“I had started feeling small twinges of exhilaration from you, and I notice that it was during heists. I had thought you were just an avid fan, but then…”</p><p>Then Kid got shot. And Kudou had been right there, on the rooftop, watching as the thief dropped ten feet midair before he righted his glider, felt the <em>agony, fear, pain… burning pain</em>… and there was no denying it.</p><p>Kudou Shinichi, savior of the police force, modern Sherlock Holmes, Great Detective of the East… had an internationally-wanted criminal as his soulmate.</p><p>“But how?” Kaito cut in, insistent. He had leaned forwards on his chair, utterly taken in by Kudou’s confession. “How did you know it was me? Since Nakamori-keibu isn’t slapping handcuffs on me right now, I knew you haven’t reported it. Why? And mostly, <em>how</em>?”</p><p>“Two ways,” Kudou held up two fingers in his classic style, one that Kaito had sometimes seen him do as he explained his deductions. “One, is Hakuba. He is a friend of mine, and he had long since told me of his theories about you. I had always dismissed it, since I think we have an unspoken agreement, you and I. I had never looked into Kuroba Kaito before, but considering I’m your soulmate, I think I have a right to know you.”</p><p>Kaito knew he must have been making an interesting expression then, because Kudou lowered his hand and leaned forwards. “I have always respected your abilities, despite your criminal record. I knew you’re a good man, Kid. You never hurt anyone, you always go to such lengths to protect others, even the Task Force. Especially from your hunters. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. You may enjoy the spotlight, but you don’t commit crime just for the sake of it. You’re a man with a mission, and I believe if you achieved that, you would stop.” He stared at Kaito right in the eyes, and vowed. “I’m not going to turn you in, Kuroba. You’re my soulmate. I want to help you.”</p><p>Kaito was glad he was already sitting down, because his knees went a little wobbly at that.</p><p>“Well,” he laughed nervously. “You should have opened with that.” Kaito looked down, and fiddled with his fingers. “What’s the second way?”</p><p>Turns out, Jii-chan’s inventor friend, the one he had drinks with on Wednesday nights and acquired certain parts for Kid’s gadgets from, was none other than Agasa-hakase, Kudou’s next door neighbor. The man had practically raised the detective. After Kudou confided in him that he was pretty sure Kid was his soulmate, the professor told him that he was pretty sure his drinking buddy was secretly Kid’s assistant.</p><p>Those two acquaintances had opened the way for the detective to investigate Kuroba Kaito. Kudou had originally planned to approach Kid at a heist, to confess to his night persona first before integrating himself into his civilian life. But heists were generally hectic events, and they hadn’t had much chance to really talk. After all, Kudou couldn’t have blurted out he was Kid’s soulmate in full view of the Task Force or Kid’s uninvited guests. It was just asking for trouble.</p><p>“But then…” Kudou swallowed. “Today. What happened? I have never felt you panic like that, not even when you got shot. I was very worried, so I came here.”</p><p>Kaito flushed. “U-um…” he stammered. “It was nothing, really. I had a panic attack. It wasn’t the best moment for me, but…” he trailed off. “I’m okay, now.”</p><p>Kudou studied his face. And Kaito, who was having an extremely emotional day, found that for once, his poker face was crumbling.</p><p>“I have ichthyophobia,” he confessed in a whisper. “And you were…”</p><p>Realization slammed into Kudou, and he winced. “I am so sorry. Oh god, Kuroba… I…”</p><p>“It’s okay, you didn’t know.” Kaito offered him a tentative smile. “Thank you for not laughing, though. Usually that’s how people react when they find out… I know it’s a stupid thing to be afraid of, but…”</p><p>“Phobias are not a laughing matter,” Kudou said sternly. “I’m so sorry that people react that way, Kuroba, but I-“</p><p>“Kaito,” he cut Kudou off. “Please, call me Kaito.”</p><p>
  <em>If we’re going to do this whole soulmate thing… I want to do this right… I want to trust you.</em>
</p><p>“Kaito,” Kudou tried the name, and Kaito had to suppress a shiver. It was just a name, but when all they had before this was ‘Kid’, it was a big deal. “Then please, call me Shinichi.”</p><p>“Shinichi,” Kaito parroted, smiling.</p><p>It felt like a sprout, fragile and tentative. But given the chance, Kaito knew their relationship could bloom. After all, the universe had created this one person for him, the other half of his soul. They would have to get to know each other more, outside of their personas. They would fight, they would laugh and cry. They could possibly even defeat the organizations threatening their lives. And they would do it together.</p><p>For now, it was a start. And that was enough.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Again, thank you so much for rux! She's been such a blessing. Check out this bonus <a href="https://twitter.com/rux363/status/1288661983177273345%22">mini comic</a> she made! (Note: please delete the " at the end of the link, somehow I can't delete it from the link!! :( )</p></blockquote></div></div>
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